Combination pouring spout and vent for a bottle



C. L. FAY

July 3, 1956 COMBINATION POURING SPOUT AND VENT FOR A BOTTLE Filed June19, 1953 IN VEN TOR. Char/es L Fay United States Patent thee 2,753,090Patented July 3, 1956 COMBINATHON POURING SPOUT AND VENT FOR A BOTTLEEharles lL. Fay, San Francisco, Calif. Application June 19, 1953, SerialNo. 362,724

4 Claims. (Cl. 222--479) The present invention relates to improvementsin a combination pouring spout and vent for a bottle, and its principalobject is to provide a combination of the character described in whichboth the spout and the vent are controlled by a single valve whichautomatically closes both of them when the bottle stands upright, andwhich automatically opens both of them when the bottle is tilted for adispensing operation.

It is further proposed to arrange the pouring spout and the vent in sucha manner that the intake end of the vent is mounted in the same plane asthe outlet end of the spout, so that both may be readily controlled by asimple, flat flap valve mounted for dropping upon the ends when thebottle stands in upright position.

it is additionally proposed to mount the vent as an integral part of thespout, with a large portion of the vent concealed in the spout and onlya very minor portion projecting outside of the spout, at the dischargeend of the latter.

And finally, it is proposed to provide a combination spout and vent thatis simple in construction, easy to manipulate and which effectivelyprevents dust or insects from entering either the spout or the vent,while the bottle stands in upright position.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will be disclosed as thespecification proceeds, and the new and useful features of mycombination pouring spout and vent will be fully defined in the claimsattached hereto.

The preferred form of my invention is illustrated in the accompanyingdrawing, forming part of this application, in which:

Figure 1 shows a vertical section through my combination spout and vent,standing in vertical position;

Figure 2, a side view of my spout and vent in pouring position, asapplied to a bottle shown in section; and

Figure 3, a transverse section taken along line 33 of Figure 1.

While I have shown only the preferred form of my invention, I wish tohave it understood that various changes or modifications may be madewithin the scope of the claims attached hereto without departing fromthe spirit of the invention.

Referring to the drawing in detail, my invention comprises in itsprincipal features a stopper 1, a pouring spout 2 communicatingtherewith, a vent 3 mounted with respect to the pouring spout, and acommon flap valve adapted for closing the upper ends of both the pouringspout and the vent.

The stopper 1 may be made of any suitable material and shape to form aclosure for a bottle, indicated at 5, and is formed with a centralopening or port 6 adapted to receive the lower end of the spout 2therein.

The spout is preferably made of a suitable metal, such as copper, or anyother suitable material to form a tube, the lower end of which isstraight while the upper end is curved sidewise, as at 7, with the upperend substantially at a right angle with respect to the axis of the tubeto present a discharge edge 8 in a steeply inclined plane.

The upper end of the tube or spout has a split ring 9 mounted thereon,and this ring has two spaced flanges l0 rising from the upper surface ofthe tube to hingedly support the flap valve 4. The latter is in the formof a substantially flat piece of metal' or other rigid material,preferably circular in form and dimensioned to completely cover thedischarge edge of the tube in normal position.

The valve has a neck 11 rising therefrom and the upper end of the neckhas a pair of tongues 12 projecting therefrom in opposite directions,the tongues being pivotally supported in holes 13 in the flanges itThus, when the tube 2 occupies a normal position, with: the bottle inupright position, the flap valve naturally shown in Figure 1,.

drops into tube-closing position, as the valve being adapted to swinginto tube-opening position, as shown in dotted lines in the same figure.

When the bottle is tilted for a dispensing operation,. the valvenaturally drops away from the:

as in Figure 2, seat, and opens the tube or spout for pouring;operation.

The tube or spout 2 may be secured upon the stopper by" an annularflange or shield 14 fixed with respect to the:

tube and bearing on the upper end of the stopper.

The vent 3 comprises a tube of metal or other suitableagainst the uppersurface of the spout, with the extreme edge of the vent coming flushwith the discharge edge of the spout and right up against the neck 11 ofthe flap valve, so as to be closed by the valve when the latter is inspout closing position. When the valve opens the spout in pouringposition, it at the same time opens the vent.

The vent is preferably permanently secured to the spout by beingsoldered thereto at the hole 16.

In operation, as the stopper is applied to the bottle, and the latterstands upright, the valve 4 naturally drops into closing position, bothwith respect to the pouring spout and the vent.

As the bottle is tilted for a dispensing operation, as in Figure 2, theflap valve naturally drops away from the seats formed by the spout andthe vent, and clears both of them, one for dispensing, and the other forallowing air to enter the bottle to compensate for the liquiddischarged.

The swinging movement of the flap valve is limited, as shown in Figure2, by the body portion of the flap valve striking the flanges 10 whichlatter thus serve as stops for the swinging movement.

I claim:

1. A combination pouring spout and vent for a bottle, comprising astopper for the bottle having a discharge opening therein, a pouringspout communicating with said opening and being curved to present aninclined upper edge when the bottle is in upright position, a vent tubedisposed generally within the pouring spout and having a lower endextending into the bottle and having an upper end extending through awall of the pouring spout with its upper edge disposed in the plane ofthe upper edge of the spout, a split ring removably mounted on the upperend of the spout comprising a substantially circular portionencompassing the outer cylindrical wall of the spout at its upper endand a pair of radially, outwardly extending side portions comprising thesplit portion of said ring, said split portions straddling the sides ofsaid vent tube at its upper end, and said side portions having flangesextending upwardly therefrom and located radially beyond the vent tubeso as to clear the same, said flanges having holes therein substantiallyin the plane of said upper edges, and a flap valve having a large bodysection for-normally covering the upper edge of the spout, a neckportion for normally covering the upper edge of the vent tube and a pairof laterally, projecting tongues suspended in said holes, the flap valvebeing operable by a tilting movement of the bottle for swinging awayfrom both the spout and the vent tube.

2. A-combination pouring spout and vent for a bottle comprising astopper for the bottle having adischarge opening therein, a pouringspout communicating with said opening and being curved to present aninclined upper edge when the bottle is in upright position, a vent tubedisposed generally within the pouring spout and having a lower endextending into the bottle and having an upper end extending through thewall of the pouring spout with its upper edge disposed in the plane ofthe upper edge of the spout, a split ring removably mounted on the upperend of thespout comprising a substantially circular portion encompassingthe outer cylindrical wall of the spout at its upper end and a pairofradially, outwardly extending side portions comprising the splitportion of said ring, said split portions straddling the sides of saidvent tube at its upper end, and said side portions having flangesextending upwardly therefrom and located radially beyond the vent tubeso as to clear the same, said flanges having holes therein substantiallyin the plane of said upper edges, and a flat flap valve having a largebody section for normally covering the upper edge of the spout, a neckportion for normally covering the upper edge of the vent tube and a pairof laterally projecting tongues suspended in said holes, the flap valvebeing operable by a tilting movement of the bottle for swinging awayfrom both the spout and the vent tube, and the ring flanges having stopscooperating with the body portion of the flap valve in limiting theswinging movement of the flap valve.

3; A flap valve mounting for a pouring spout having a vent tube separatefrom the spout. and with its upper end disposed outside the outer Wallof the spout, the said upper end being arranged immediately above thespout with the ends *of the vent tube and the spout disposed in the sameplane, the mounting comprising a split ring mountable on the dischargeend of the pouring spout and comprising a substantially circular portionadapted to encompass the outer cylindrical wall of the spout at itsupper end, and a pair of radially, outwardly extending side portionsmaking upthe split portion of said ring, said split portions beingadapted to straddle the sides of said vent tube at its upper end, andsaid portions having flanges extending upwardly therefrom and locatedradially beyond the vent tube, so as to clear the same, said flangeshaving holes therein substantially in the plane of said upper edges, anda flat flap valve having a large body section for normally covering theupper end of the spout, a neck portion for normally covering theend'of-the-vent tube and a pair of laterally projecting tonguessuspended in said holes, the flap-valve being operable by a tiltingmovement of the spout for swinging away from both the spout and the venttube.

4. A flap valve mounting for a pouring spout having a vent tube separatefrom the spout and with its upper end disposed outside the outer Wall ofthe spout, the said upper end being arranged immediately above the spoutwith the ends of the vent tube and the spout disposed in the same plane,the mounting comprising a split ring mountable on the discharge end ofthe pouring spout and comprising a substantially circular portionadapted to encompass the outer cylindrical wall of thespout at its upperend, and a pairof radially, outwardly extending side portions making upthe splitportion of said ring, said split portions beingadapted to,straddle the sides of said vent tube at itsfupper end, and said portionshaving flanges extending upwardly therefrom and located radially beyondthe vent tube, so as to clear the same, said flanges having holestherein substantially in the plane of said upper edges, and, a flat flapvalve having a large body section forvnormally covering the upper end ofthe spout, a neck portion for normally covering the end of the vent tubeand a pair of laterally projecting tongues suspended in said holes, theflap valve being operable by a tilting movement of the spout forswinging away from both the spout and the vent tube, and the ringflanges having stops cooperating with the body portion of the flap valvein limiting the swinging movement of the latter.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSFOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Aug. 1, 1929 I

